Taralga Suffolks breeder Jessica Sharman has taken out the senior section of the young meat sheep handlers, while St Gregory's student Max Gorey was crowned champion junior handler.
Ms Sharman was placed ahead of Elizabeth and Christine Sutton, while Lilian Hunter and Lincoln Cook rounded out the placings in the junior section.
Having shown at the Sydney Royal for a number of years, Ms Sharman was very excited to claim her first blue ribbon in the state handlers competition.
"I've been doing this since grade seven and I just graduated, so it's nice to finally get a blue one," she said.
"I really wasn't expecting it. There's some really great handlers and we're always up against each other, which is cool too."
The 17-year-old, who will celebrate her 18th birthday in the Sydney sheep shed next week, started showing with her high school, Trinity Catholic College Golbourn, before starting her own Suffolk stud with her Dad in 2019, and taking their own animals on the show circuit.
"Sheep are what we've always run at home and they're my life now, all I know is sheep," she said.
"I don't know what else I'd do really, sheep have always been my passion.
"You meet some great people through the industry, and theres a lot of new people coming through into our breed which really nice to see."
Already heavily involved in the sheep industry, Ms Sharman is the junior vice president of the New South Wales Suffolk Association, and holder of a RSA Rural Foundation scholarship, which she gained after acquiring her wool classing accreditation and Certificate IIII in agriculture through TAFE.
Mr Gorey said it felt "pretty good" to get the win in his second outing at the Sydney Royal.
"I'd never had anything to do with sheep before I started working with them at school, but it's been really good," he said.
"The program is really good and it's run really well.
"I like coming to the shows with all of my mates, having fun and winning ribbons."
The 13-year-old said he enjoyed working with sheep and cattle through the school agriculture program and would continue participating with the school show team until he graduated.
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